The 8 most mouth-watering dishes the Mets will offer at Citi Field

NEW YORK — We here at For The Win are always here to do the hard journalism work in service to fans.

That’s why not one but two of our reporters took a trip out to Citi Field a day after a snowstorm and tasted most of the offerings the New York Mets will serve to visitors in 2018, in the hopes that we can help guide you to spend your money the right way at the Queens-based ballpark.

Here are some of the best things we ate on Thursday:

1. Big Mozz’s Mozzarella Sticks

Ted: Sounds boring, right? Wrong! Our standards for mozzarella sticks have been driven down by the preformed, frozen fare that bars usually don’t even manage to fully heat up at happy hour. This is what mozzarella sticks are supposed to be: The breading is crunchy and flavorful but not too greasy, the cheese inside tasty and gooey and amazing. I’m not sure I’ve ever in my life had mozzarella sticks at a baseball game, which is shocking to me considering how many baseball games I attend and how much I love fried cheese. That streak will end in 2018, as I will definitely be eating these again.

Charles: I’ll admit right off the bat that I am not a huge mozzarella stick guy. I like my mozz on pizza, whatever, don’t @ me. But I get where Ted is coming from — the crunch and seasoning around the stringy cheese was a lot more complex than the standard breading you get from a mozzarella stick.

2. Baked Cheese Haus’s Alpine Brat

Ted: It’s beautiful. Thanks in large part, I suspect, to how very Instagrammable it is, Raclette cheese is having a moment. But this sandwich is not just for the ‘gram. It’s delicious in its own right, with the vinegary tang and subtle crunch of the cornichons balancing the pungent molten cheese. In its full, foot-long variety, it’s a monster. But you’re going to want to try it, and not just because it’s an opportunity for that perfect Boomerang shot of the cheese oozing onto the brat.

Charles: There’s such a thing as too gimmicky sometimes. But getting a bunch of cheese from a wheel cooking under some heat put directly on to the brat and handed right to me? It was a perfect gimmick. I asked and apparently there will be someone manning the wheel o’ cheese every game. Add in some onions and cornichon on top and you’ve got a perfect bite.

3. Fuku’s Loaded Fries

Ted: I’m usually down on dishes like this one. I believe the quality of a french fry directly correlates to its crispiness, so soaking fries in melted cheese and various condiments typically turns me off. I’d rather just dip! Alas, these were incredible. They’re a good deal spicier than you’d expect from ballpark fare without added hot sauce, and the bacon makes them healthy. If Fuku started selling this cheese sauce by the quart, I’d keep a carton in my fridge at all times.

Charles: Whatever the spice was in the cheese sauce, I want more. Also, there was bacon on top and that’s really the main attraction.

4. Nicoletta’s Italian Cheese Balls

Ted: I kind of wish we served “Italian Cheese Balls” at the now-closed (RIP) Italian deli where I used to work, and not just because of all the jokes we’d have made whenever anyone ordered them. This is a great take on the fritter: Crunchy and salty with a touch of spice from the pepperoni within, and complemented perfectly by the accompanying marinara sauce.

Charles: It occurs to me that most of the stuff on this list is cheese-based, which is crazy to me considering my limited enjoyment of cheese. Yet I was stopped in my tracks at this bite, which looks like a standard arancini but turns out to be gooey, pepperoni-y goodness on the inside. Make sure to dip liberally in the marinara (but you knew that already).

5. Catch of the Day’s South Bay Lobster Tacos

Ted: These lobster tacos looked incredible, but I cannot eat lobster without upsetting my stomach, and I wasn’t about to take chances that might ruin my favorite day of the year. I’ll defer to Charles, but note that I’d like to see these taco shells employed in other capacities.

Charles: I don’t mean to repeat myself, but I loved them last year and I’m still a fan. There’s slaw, jalapeno, and enough lobster to keep you happy. The shell has some crunchy cheese baked in, which is a subtle, salty touch.

6. Lil’ Sweet Chick’s Chicken & Waffles

Ted: Fried chicken and waffles are both delicious, so I somewhat frequently order chicken and waffles when its on the menu at a diner or a brunch place. But I do not believe there’s any sort of synergistic relationship between fried chicken and waffles, and usually eat my waffle as a dessert following the fried chicken that came piled on top. But Nas endorses this dish, so I will allow that I am probably wrong.

Charles: I’m always all for the combination of chicken and waffles, and these were pretty good. But when we saw Nas appear unexpectedly and found out he was an investor, they suddenly tasted even better.

7. Wowfulls’ Hong Kong Egg Waffles

Ted: A delightful sundae elevated by the inclusion of French Toast Crunch cereal, which steadfastly maintains its crunch even as the ice cream melts around it. This author often seizes baseball games as an opportunity to enjoy soft-serve ice cream, which is criminally underrated and better than its more popular sibling, but I will probably stray from ol’ Mister Softee to enjoy this gorgeous concoction a few times this season.

Charles: A masterpiece of a dessert — a little fruitiness with strawberry cheesecake ice cream, texture from French toast crunch, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. Plus, look at that thing! It’s gorgeous!

8. Do’s Edible Cookie Dough

Ted: It’s extremely rich and I’m not sure I’d ever want more than the sample-sized serving I ate at Thursday’s event, but the cookies n’ cream cookie dough is good enough that I’ll happily eat some of yours if you offer it to me.

Charles: Again: I was all about it last year, I’m all in again this year. Edible cookie dough is one of the greatest food inventions of the 21st century.

We ate a bunch of stuff to help you spend your money the right way at Mets games this year.

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